The fastest horse in the world returned to racing at Flemington on Saturday - and got even faster.

Black
Caviar, already the greatest thoroughbred to step onto an Australian
racetrack in at least 80 years, maintained her perfect record with her
23rd win from as many starts when she won a race named in her honour,
the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes.

In her first start since her
slightly below-par performance in front of the Queen at Royal Ascot
last June, Black Caviar broke the Flemington track record for 1000
metres in a race she has won three years in succession.

The
champion mare had the Lightning under control from the first step she
took from the barrier. When asked for an effort she lengthened stride
and cruised away from her seven opponents to win untouched by 2-1/2
lengths.

It was a win that confirmed her recovery from injury,
that confirmed her status as one of the best couple of horses on earth
and which had her trainer, Peter Moody, close to tears.

A man of little emotion, Moody was lost for words.

'I'm just so proud,' he said.

'How do you describe her?'

For
Moody the triumph wasn't confined to the winner. He also trained the
second and third horses, Moment Of Change and Golden Archer.

The first prize of $300,000 took Black Caviar's racetrack earnings past $7.1 million.

A
decision on her future will be made in the next few days, with Moody
and her owners considering appearances in Sydney and Brisbane before
she retires and begins breeding duties next spring.